Hartford Amazon Manager Pilfers $50K in Tech

HARTFORD, CT – Terrell Kimble, 45, of Hartford, is facing up to 20 years in federal prison after admitting today to a brazen scheme to defraud Amazon. The former Amazon Regional Fleet Specialist and Area Manager pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford.

Federal prosecutors detailed how Kimble exploited Amazon’s internal employee reward system, known as Peak, which utilized a procurement portal called Coupa. This system allowed Area Managers like Kimble to recognize exceptional employee performance by ordering gifts directly from Amazon – at no cost to the rewarded employee. But Kimble wasn’t rewarding performance; he was lining his own pockets.

Between July 2021 and December 2022, Kimble allegedly placed at least 196 fraudulent Coupa orders, falsely claiming they were for employee recognition. Instead of going to deserving workers, the ordered items – primarily high-end electronics – were shipped to his mother’s residence. The haul included Apple iPad Pros, Apple AirPods Pros, Apple Watches, and Nintendo Switches, totaling an estimated $50,000 in stolen goods.

U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut announced the guilty plea, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense. Kimble was arrested on August 15, 2024, and has been released on a $250,000 bond while awaiting sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

The investigation, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Secret Service and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, also received assistance from the Windsor, West Hartford, and Hartford Police Departments. The scope of the fraud suggests a calculated and prolonged abuse of trust within the Amazon system.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller is prosecuting the case. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing as it develops. This case serves as a stark reminder that even within the seemingly secure walls of corporate America, greed and deception can thrive.